Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo Freed After Kenya Intervenes in Uganda

Two Kenyan human rights activists who went missing in Uganda over a month ago have been released and returned to Kenya following diplomatic efforts by Nairobi.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei confirmed on Saturday that Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were handed over to Kenya’s High Commissioner in Kampala late on Friday before being escorted to the Busia border. They arrived in Kenya early on Saturday morning, where they were received by officials and reunited with their families.

Njagi and Oyoo disappeared on 1 October after being seized in daylight from a petrol station in Kira Municipality, near Kampala. Witnesses said armed men carried out the abduction, and the activists’ phones were switched off immediately afterwards. Their disappearance caused weeks of uncertainty and concern among relatives and civil society groups.

The Kenyan government launched a sustained diplomatic campaign to secure their release, escalating the matter to the highest level. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi wrote to Uganda’s Foreign Minister, Gen Jeje Odongo, on 31 October, expressing frustration over the lack of communication from Kampala.

He said the disappearance had caused “immense distress” to families and “intense public concern” in Kenya while undermining East African Community principles.
Kenya’s High Commission in Kampala had earlier issued a formal protest through a Note Verbale, demanding information about the activists’ whereabouts.

Human rights group VOCAL Africa also condemned the abduction, calling it a serious threat to civic freedoms and urging regional solidarity. The incident attracted international attention, with rights organisations comparing it to previous cases of cross-border detentions in East Africa.

Uganda has often faced criticism for its treatment of opposition figures and journalists, but the disappearance of foreign nationals from a partner state raised particular alarm. Efforts to seek legal redress in Uganda were unsuccessful. A habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of the two men was dismissed for lack of evidence, heightening fears that they were being held without due process.

Kenyan officials cited the ruling as further justification for demanding transparency from Ugandan authorities. In Kenya, the families of Njagi and Oyoo endured weeks of uncertainty. Relatives described them as dedicated to governance and youth advocacy and said they had travelled to Uganda for civil society work linked to regional integration.